The Health Benefits of KIMCHI

Kimchi is, as it were, on everyone's lips. The U.S. monthly Health recently selected the Korean national side dish as one of the five leading health foods in the world. Studies have shown that kimchi, which has plenty of lactic acid bacteria, is effective in preventing cancer as well as promoting digestion. Both the BBC and the Washington Post earlier reported that kimchi is effective in preventing bird flu. Kimchi is also said to be effective in losing weight, killing germs and strengthening the immune system.

There are more than 200 varieties of kimchi, and the same kind of kimchi can be different in taste and benefits depending on how far it is fermented. The Chosun Ilbo takes a look at the nutritional value according to variety and how far kimchi should be fermented to produce the greatest health benefits.


If you want to make the most out of kimchi, you should eat it when it is properly fermented. Some expert opinion has it that kimchi that has been fermented for several years is superior in preventing cancer and aging, but if it is pickled for too long, microbes destroy the nutritional value.

An experiment by Pusan National University's kimchi institute shows that properly fermented kimchi is best for curbing the growth of colon cancer cells (72 percent), followed by highly-fermented kimchi (53 percent) and unfermented kimchi (51 percent). Properly fermented kimchi has more lactic acid bacteria, some 10 times that of unfermented kimchi. The amount of lactic acid bacteria and vitamins is at its highest when kimchi is two to three weeks old, which is also the time when it tastes best. After that, it gradually declines.

Fried kimchi and kimchi stew have less nutritional value since the process destroys lactic acid bacteria and vitamin C, which are vulnerable to heat. Dr. Yang Si-young with Doosan Food BG's kimchi institute, however, says studies show that even dead bacteria provide health benefits, so it cannot be said that kimchi stew has no benefits at all.


◆ Different Varieties, Different Benefits

Kimchi made with hot peppers is a leading diet food. The capsaicin in hot peppers dissolves fat, and thus eating kimchi helps lose weight. But a recent study shows that white kimchi, which does not contain hot pepper, also prevents obesity. Conducted by a research team at Pusan National University, it shows that the garlic and ginger in white kimchi also produce fat-dissolving effects that are as strong as those generated by capsaicin.

Leaf mustard kimchi and green onion kimchi are rich in chlorophyll and diallyl sulfides, which have superb anti-cancer and anti-aging effects. "Pickled radish kimchi and sliced white radish kimchi promote digestion thanks to diastase, a digestive enzyme that is plentiful in radish," says Park Chae-rin, a research director with Pulmuone’s Kimchi Field Museum. "Watery plain kimchi made of radish is very good at pr


◆ Less Salt, More Benefits

One drawback is that you need plenty of salt for pickling. For every 60 grams of kimchi during a meal, you consume 3-4 grams of salt or a total of 9-12 grams of salt a day. Thus eating kimchi can make you consume more salt than the WHO's current wisdom recommends, which is 10 grams a day. Salty food supposedly increases the risk of gastritis, gastric ulcers and hypertension. It is therefore best to eat kimchi made with the minimum of salt needed to stop it from rotting, while patients with high blood pressure should reduce their kimchi intake.



source